
Washington Opens Pac-12 Play At Oregon State On Friday
December 27, 2017 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE --- Washington opens up conference play on Friday, traveling to Corvallis to face Oregon State in an afternoon tilt with tip-off slated for 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KKNW 1150 AM in Seattle with Gary Hill Jr. on the call and also online at gohuskies.com. Oregon State will also provide a video stream through the Pac-12 website.
The Huskies are coming off an 84-76 overtime victory over cross-town rival Seattle U on Wednesday. Washington saw a 15-point, second-half lead vanish quickly but used an 11-1 run in overtime to secure the victory. Amber Melgoza continues to lead the Huskies, recording career-highs with 26 points and six assists to go along with nine rebounds. The game comes on the heels of a 25-point performance at UNC on Sunday.
The OT game was the first for Washington in four years, snapping a streak of 133-straight games without overtime. The Huskies last overtime came on Jan. 14, 2014 in a 53-52 victory over Utah. Washington still hasn't lost an overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012, a streak of 196-games without an OT loss.
Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State has jumped out of the gate to a 9-2 record with their lone losses coming against a pair of highly-ranked teams in No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 16 Duke. The Beavers are leading the Pac-12 in nearly every offensive category including ranking second in scoring at 88.2 points per game and first in scoring defense, allowing just 52.9 points per game.
The Beavers lost a key component to their offense after last season as Sydney Wiese was drafted 11th overall by the LA Sparks of the WNBA. Wiese, a second-team All-American, averaged 15.2 points per game for OSU while leading the Beavers to the Pac-12 regular-season title.
However, Oregon State still has offensive fire power with a trio ranking in the top 20 in scoring the Pac-12. Leading the way is Marie Gulich, a 6-5 senior center from Cologne, Germany, who is averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game through the first 11 games. Sophomore guard Mikayla Pivec from Lynnwood (WA) High School is contributing 13.6 ppg and 7.2 rebounds with a team-high 56 assists while fellow sophomore guard Kay Tudor adds 12.5 points per game.
Washington coach Jody Wynn nearly pulled off a huge upset at Oregon State last season in the NCAA Tournament First Round while coaching at Long Beach State. Wynn's squad kept things close and had the ball during the final minute of the game trailing by one, but couldn't score and ended up losing 56-55.
All-Time Series Record
This will be the 91st meeting all-time between Washington and Oregon State and the 41st game in Corvallis. While the Huskies lead the series 54-37, the Beavers have dominated lately, winning six of the last seven games and the last three games at Oregon State. Washington has not won at Gill Coliseum since the 2012-13 season when they edged the Beavers 49-44 on January 18, 2013.
Up Next
Washington closes out its trip through the Beaver State on Sunday, facing off against No. 10 Oregon at 1:00 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.
Last Time Out
Mai-Loni Henson scored Washington's first seven points in overtime, keying a 11-1 run midway through the extra session as the Huskies pulled out an 84-76 victory over crosstown rival Seattle University. Amber Melgoza scored a career-high 26 points, eclipsing her previous best of 25 she established in UW's last game at North Carolina, adding nine rebounds and a career-high six assists. Henson scored 16 points including seven in overtime to go along with seven rebounds.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza continues to lead the team in scoring and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 at 15.4 points per game, including a career-high 26 points against Seattle U on Sunday. That performance came on the heels of a 25-point game at North Carolina last week and has now scored in double-figures in nine of 11 games this season. Over the last five games, Melgoza is averaging 19.4 points per game over that stretch.
Henson's Heroics
Sophomore Mai-Loni Henson has quietly moved into second on the team's scoring chart, averaging 11.5 points per game. She has scored in double-figures in nine of 11 games including each of the last six games. Henson is averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game over her last six contests.
Moser's Shooting Prowess
Senior Jenna Moser is ranked fifth the Pac-12 conference in three-point field goal percentage, hitting 45.1% (23-for-51) from beyond the arc. Moser was an impressive 4-for-4 at Idaho in early December, hitting four from beyond the arc in a game for the second time this season. In addition, the senior is 17-of-23 from the free throw line including hitting her last 15 from the charity stripe after a 2-of-8 start the year.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' schedule ranks as the 38th most difficult among the 349 NCAA Division I WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is one of the reasons the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts four teams in the AP top 25 and three others receiving votes (#10 Oregon, #11 UCLA, #17 Oregon State, #20 California with Stanford, Arizona State and USC receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #12 Ohio St. in non-conference games.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the Pac-12 in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the conference in turnovers forced at 20.0 per game and second in turnover margin at +4.27. Washington also ranks second in the conference in three-point field goal attempts (302) and ranks third in 3-pointers made (95), steals (118) and steals per game (10.7).
Freshman Power
The Huskies have received solid contributions from the five freshmen on the squad. Kierra Collier ranks fourth on the team with 8.6 points per game, adding 25 assists and 12 steals. Fapou Semebene recorded her first collegiate double-double against Grand Canyon with 11 points and 11 rebounds--both season-highs. She is averaging a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game with over half of those coming on the offensive end (33o/28d). Alexis Griggsby has added 6.9 ppg while Missy Peterson is contributing 4.9 ppg including a career-high 12 points vs. Portland. Khayla Rooks has been battling injury but is still averaging 6.3 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds vs. Seattle.
No Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end Sunday as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76. Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Despite one streak coming to an end, one remained: Washington has not lost an overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012, a streak of 196-straight games.
Road Warriors
After opening the season with a pair of home games, the Huskies played just four of their next 10 games at home. The Huskies open conference play on the road at the Oregon schools on Dec. 29 and 31st before hosting Utah and Colorado at home in early January. After making its Bay area trip and facing Washington St. in Pullman, the Huskies play 7 of their final 11 games at home. Washington's season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in Vegas.
First Half Heroes
Washington is 6-0 when leading at halftime and 0-5 when trailing at the half. Dating back to last year, the Huskies have won their last 14 games and 33 of their last 34 when leading at the half.
Impressive Debuts
Washington had a solid showing from its core of freshman making their collegiate debuts against Idaho State. The Huskies were led in scoring by Kierra Collier, who scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 19 minutes off the bench. Alexis Griggsby added nine points, four rebounds and two steals in 15 minutes with Missy Peterson contributing eight points and two assists. Two freshman cracked the starting lineup for the Huskies with Fapou Semebene and Khayla Rooks each scoring five points and pulling down a team-high five rebounds.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall according to Prospects Nation.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School. She is currently ranked as the No. 14 wing player in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win over Idaho, but lost 85-62 at Boise State and 79-59 at home to Idaho State.
First Game Struggles
After the Huskies loss against Idaho State, only three of 11 Washington WBB coaches have won their first game as the Huskies' head coach. The last time a coach won their first game at UW came in 1985-86 when Chris Gobrecht defeated UCLA 68-50 when the Huskies were members of the NorPac Conference. Since UW joined the Pac-10/12, Husky coaches are now 0-5 in their first games at the helm.
Huskies Ranked in the Preseason Polls
Washington opened the season tied for No. 25 along with fellow Pac-12 foe California with 79 votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll and received four votes in the AP Poll.
2016-17 Recap
The Huskies posted a 29-6 record and made their second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17. Washington went 18-1 at home and earned a pair of home games to open the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies downed Montana State and Oklahoma before falling to Mississippi State in the Sweet Sixteen. UW's Kelsey Plum earned numerous honors including the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award as the NCAA Player of the Year before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft by the San Antonio Stars.
Season/Home Openers
With the loss to Idaho State, Washington is now 26-18 in season openers all-time, snapping a two-game winning streak in such games. Over the last 12 seasons, Washington is 4-8 in season openers. The Huskies have posted an impressive 33-11 overall record in home openers despite losing to Idaho State this season.
Radio Show
Washington Women's Basketball Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Jan. 2, Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be streamed online at gohuskies.com or by using the TuneIn Mobile App, available in the Apple and Google App Stores.
Huskies in USA Basketball
Five former Washington athletes have competed internationally for USA Basketball. Karen Deden, who was named to the 1995 USA Pan American Games Team, but was denied a shot at a medal after the women's basketball competition was cancelled due to too few team entries, played on the 1989 USA Junior World Cup (U19) Team that placed seventh and the 1988 USA Junior World Cup Qualifying Team that won gold. Loree Payne won gold on the 2000 USA R. William Jones Cup Team and competed in an exhibition game as a member of the 2000 USA Select Team against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team; Jamie Redd was a member of the 1998 USA Select Team that posted a 7-1 slate against international teams in exhibition games; while Rhonda Smith won a silver medal at the 1997 Tournament of the Americas and a bronze medal at the 1993 R. William Jones Cup. Most recently, Kelsey Plum earned a gold medal at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Cup, silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and participated in the 2017 USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, California.
The Huskies are coming off an 84-76 overtime victory over cross-town rival Seattle U on Wednesday. Washington saw a 15-point, second-half lead vanish quickly but used an 11-1 run in overtime to secure the victory. Amber Melgoza continues to lead the Huskies, recording career-highs with 26 points and six assists to go along with nine rebounds. The game comes on the heels of a 25-point performance at UNC on Sunday.
The OT game was the first for Washington in four years, snapping a streak of 133-straight games without overtime. The Huskies last overtime came on Jan. 14, 2014 in a 53-52 victory over Utah. Washington still hasn't lost an overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012, a streak of 196-games without an OT loss.
Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State has jumped out of the gate to a 9-2 record with their lone losses coming against a pair of highly-ranked teams in No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 16 Duke. The Beavers are leading the Pac-12 in nearly every offensive category including ranking second in scoring at 88.2 points per game and first in scoring defense, allowing just 52.9 points per game.
The Beavers lost a key component to their offense after last season as Sydney Wiese was drafted 11th overall by the LA Sparks of the WNBA. Wiese, a second-team All-American, averaged 15.2 points per game for OSU while leading the Beavers to the Pac-12 regular-season title.
However, Oregon State still has offensive fire power with a trio ranking in the top 20 in scoring the Pac-12. Leading the way is Marie Gulich, a 6-5 senior center from Cologne, Germany, who is averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game through the first 11 games. Sophomore guard Mikayla Pivec from Lynnwood (WA) High School is contributing 13.6 ppg and 7.2 rebounds with a team-high 56 assists while fellow sophomore guard Kay Tudor adds 12.5 points per game.
Washington coach Jody Wynn nearly pulled off a huge upset at Oregon State last season in the NCAA Tournament First Round while coaching at Long Beach State. Wynn's squad kept things close and had the ball during the final minute of the game trailing by one, but couldn't score and ended up losing 56-55.
All-Time Series Record
This will be the 91st meeting all-time between Washington and Oregon State and the 41st game in Corvallis. While the Huskies lead the series 54-37, the Beavers have dominated lately, winning six of the last seven games and the last three games at Oregon State. Washington has not won at Gill Coliseum since the 2012-13 season when they edged the Beavers 49-44 on January 18, 2013.
Up Next
Washington closes out its trip through the Beaver State on Sunday, facing off against No. 10 Oregon at 1:00 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.
Last Time Out
Mai-Loni Henson scored Washington's first seven points in overtime, keying a 11-1 run midway through the extra session as the Huskies pulled out an 84-76 victory over crosstown rival Seattle University. Amber Melgoza scored a career-high 26 points, eclipsing her previous best of 25 she established in UW's last game at North Carolina, adding nine rebounds and a career-high six assists. Henson scored 16 points including seven in overtime to go along with seven rebounds.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza continues to lead the team in scoring and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 at 15.4 points per game, including a career-high 26 points against Seattle U on Sunday. That performance came on the heels of a 25-point game at North Carolina last week and has now scored in double-figures in nine of 11 games this season. Over the last five games, Melgoza is averaging 19.4 points per game over that stretch.
Henson's Heroics
Sophomore Mai-Loni Henson has quietly moved into second on the team's scoring chart, averaging 11.5 points per game. She has scored in double-figures in nine of 11 games including each of the last six games. Henson is averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game over her last six contests.
Moser's Shooting Prowess
Senior Jenna Moser is ranked fifth the Pac-12 conference in three-point field goal percentage, hitting 45.1% (23-for-51) from beyond the arc. Moser was an impressive 4-for-4 at Idaho in early December, hitting four from beyond the arc in a game for the second time this season. In addition, the senior is 17-of-23 from the free throw line including hitting her last 15 from the charity stripe after a 2-of-8 start the year.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' schedule ranks as the 38th most difficult among the 349 NCAA Division I WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is one of the reasons the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts four teams in the AP top 25 and three others receiving votes (#10 Oregon, #11 UCLA, #17 Oregon State, #20 California with Stanford, Arizona State and USC receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #12 Ohio St. in non-conference games.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the Pac-12 in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the conference in turnovers forced at 20.0 per game and second in turnover margin at +4.27. Washington also ranks second in the conference in three-point field goal attempts (302) and ranks third in 3-pointers made (95), steals (118) and steals per game (10.7).
Freshman Power
The Huskies have received solid contributions from the five freshmen on the squad. Kierra Collier ranks fourth on the team with 8.6 points per game, adding 25 assists and 12 steals. Fapou Semebene recorded her first collegiate double-double against Grand Canyon with 11 points and 11 rebounds--both season-highs. She is averaging a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game with over half of those coming on the offensive end (33o/28d). Alexis Griggsby has added 6.9 ppg while Missy Peterson is contributing 4.9 ppg including a career-high 12 points vs. Portland. Khayla Rooks has been battling injury but is still averaging 6.3 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds vs. Seattle.
No Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end Sunday as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76. Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Despite one streak coming to an end, one remained: Washington has not lost an overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012, a streak of 196-straight games.
Road Warriors
After opening the season with a pair of home games, the Huskies played just four of their next 10 games at home. The Huskies open conference play on the road at the Oregon schools on Dec. 29 and 31st before hosting Utah and Colorado at home in early January. After making its Bay area trip and facing Washington St. in Pullman, the Huskies play 7 of their final 11 games at home. Washington's season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in Vegas.
First Half Heroes
Washington is 6-0 when leading at halftime and 0-5 when trailing at the half. Dating back to last year, the Huskies have won their last 14 games and 33 of their last 34 when leading at the half.
Impressive Debuts
Washington had a solid showing from its core of freshman making their collegiate debuts against Idaho State. The Huskies were led in scoring by Kierra Collier, who scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 19 minutes off the bench. Alexis Griggsby added nine points, four rebounds and two steals in 15 minutes with Missy Peterson contributing eight points and two assists. Two freshman cracked the starting lineup for the Huskies with Fapou Semebene and Khayla Rooks each scoring five points and pulling down a team-high five rebounds.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall according to Prospects Nation.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School. She is currently ranked as the No. 14 wing player in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win over Idaho, but lost 85-62 at Boise State and 79-59 at home to Idaho State.
First Game Struggles
After the Huskies loss against Idaho State, only three of 11 Washington WBB coaches have won their first game as the Huskies' head coach. The last time a coach won their first game at UW came in 1985-86 when Chris Gobrecht defeated UCLA 68-50 when the Huskies were members of the NorPac Conference. Since UW joined the Pac-10/12, Husky coaches are now 0-5 in their first games at the helm.
Huskies Ranked in the Preseason Polls
Washington opened the season tied for No. 25 along with fellow Pac-12 foe California with 79 votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll and received four votes in the AP Poll.
2016-17 Recap
The Huskies posted a 29-6 record and made their second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17. Washington went 18-1 at home and earned a pair of home games to open the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies downed Montana State and Oklahoma before falling to Mississippi State in the Sweet Sixteen. UW's Kelsey Plum earned numerous honors including the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award as the NCAA Player of the Year before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft by the San Antonio Stars.
Season/Home Openers
With the loss to Idaho State, Washington is now 26-18 in season openers all-time, snapping a two-game winning streak in such games. Over the last 12 seasons, Washington is 4-8 in season openers. The Huskies have posted an impressive 33-11 overall record in home openers despite losing to Idaho State this season.
Radio Show
Washington Women's Basketball Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Jan. 2, Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be streamed online at gohuskies.com or by using the TuneIn Mobile App, available in the Apple and Google App Stores.
Huskies in USA Basketball
Five former Washington athletes have competed internationally for USA Basketball. Karen Deden, who was named to the 1995 USA Pan American Games Team, but was denied a shot at a medal after the women's basketball competition was cancelled due to too few team entries, played on the 1989 USA Junior World Cup (U19) Team that placed seventh and the 1988 USA Junior World Cup Qualifying Team that won gold. Loree Payne won gold on the 2000 USA R. William Jones Cup Team and competed in an exhibition game as a member of the 2000 USA Select Team against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team; Jamie Redd was a member of the 1998 USA Select Team that posted a 7-1 slate against international teams in exhibition games; while Rhonda Smith won a silver medal at the 1997 Tournament of the Americas and a bronze medal at the 1993 R. William Jones Cup. Most recently, Kelsey Plum earned a gold medal at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Cup, silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and participated in the 2017 USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, California.
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